


Saints & Soldiers

by Nukeli



Series: Saints & Soldiers [1]
Category: The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Character Death, Earth 919, Erik Lehnsherr as Max Eisenhardt, Evil Steve Rogers, Johann Schmidt as Johann Eisenhardt, Mirror Universe, Read "Saints & Soldiers: Flashbacks" chapter 2, Role Reversal, Starr is machinesmith, some characters have different names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-04-29 18:35:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14478726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nukeli/pseuds/Nukeli
Summary: What if Avengers were the villains and their enemies were the heroes?A.k.a in which it falls to a super soldier, a scientist with dangerous split personality, a man in hi-tech suit, a guy with a sword, and a normal man to uncover a conspiracy that threatens the whole world.(If there are grammar errors or something, let me know.This is my first attempt to write longer story with dialogue, so any feedback is approved)





	1. Brewity Is The Soul Of Wit

The gravestones stand silently, row upon row like soldiers long forgotten, the silence is shattered by a lone gunshot. One gunshot is what it takes to stop the fight before it even begins. Johann looks to the roof, giving Brock thumbs up, takes the knife of fallen enemy, and slips back into the shadows to continue his mission. He has met Brock "Crossbones" Rumlow only a week ago and doesn't really know how he should feel about the stoic sniper who claims to be "his 'fan'" (Johann has the feeling that the meaning of the word has changed over time...) and has been awake for only about three months, but is still good at what he does. Stealth missions, a knife, a sniper, and as few gunshots as possible, and he is good. He is usually triggered by needles and shooting, or electricity cracking, so as long as he uses a knife, there is no problem. Pierce told him to retire, but why should he listen? He can't just stand by and watch the world turn into hell in a handbasket and they both  know it.

Johann crawls through the mud, there is still one man standing, he has to take him by surprise him to catch him alive. Everything goes according to the plan, until comes the question time. The S.C.H.I.L.D agent seems willing to talk, so Johann doesn't knife him and just asks intead.

"S-stark--"When the man is opening his mouth, Johann hears a whizzing sound and an arrow impales the man's heart. Soon comes another arrow, aimed at Johann, but it misses, because he is faster and rolls behind a stone. It is a dark, moonless night, so locating the bowman is next to impossible. Johann readjusts his mask, and tries to contact Brock via radio.

"Can you hear me?" No answer...

"Brock..!" The radio cracks static, and Johann prays the signal is just jammed. He shouldn't have taken him along. Or maybe the he other way around... _Nein_ , _nein_ , don't blame yourself, Brock's a professional. You both are. He came there out of his own free will and knew the risks. He's okay. He'll be okay.. Johann inspects the arrow he yanked out of the enemy agent, it is special. The bowman has to be **Hawkeye** , he is the only professional killer who uses bow as the main weapon. Another gunshot, but it isn't aimed down there, Johann is alone. _Brock isn't_. Johann looks up and sees nothing, he draws a deep breath and runs into the building keeping an eye out for enemies, looks around, and creeps up the stairs.

Another gunshot comes, this time in Johann's direction. As in throught the wall. He ducks and continues advancing towards the door by crawling. The sounds of fighting and the stray shot mean Brock is still alive. It is darker than outside, Johann can only see outlines and highlights, but that is more than enough. He recognizes Brock's helmet shape and punches the other head quite hard. Hawkeye, being a bit hard of hearing, doesn't notice him coming and is taken by surprise, but recovers quickly. He takes advantace of being on the ground and kicks Johann on the nuts, which obviously hurts. Johann drops on the mercenary and tries the stranglehold he used with Barnes, this time it works better. He can hear Hawkeye gaping for air, and feels his glowed fingers on his face, poking his eye and trying to couge it. Johann tries to move his head away from Hawk's reach but that is a tactical mistake, the enemy gets free and punches him with a brass knuckle.

Brock can't see anything, so he throws the gun out of the window, out of Hawk's reach, and clicks a blade from his armor. During the following fight someone hits the light switch, it takes Johann a precious second to recover from the sudden flash, and Hawkeye, wearing dark glasses, slashes his mask and scratches his face with one of the arrows. Brock comes from behind to tackle him, but Hawk saw him coming and jumps directly upwards, flips on Brock's shoulders, and then out of the window, back facing the street, and shoots an arrow with an explosive strapped on it. Johann still can't really run, so Brock graps him and yanks him into next room and behing the ragged sofa.

The explosion is quite small, obviously, there can't be many explosives packed on an arrow. It only destroys the wall it had sinked into and the half of sofa facing it, and rubble falls from the ceiling. Johann immediately runs to the window, but can't see a trace of Hawkeye. They, however, have a name: Stark. Johann has had only three months to make research about the times between the battle of Berlin and today, but the name " **Stark** " had came up in some way in almost everything. Howard's son, Anthony. The man has a good reputation despite his father's deeds, but there were rumors Brock had heard. That Stark worked with infamous weapons merchant Iron Grip, who had ties to S.C.H.I.L.D. which shouldn't even exists anymore. The leaders were executed and rats abandoned the sinking ship, but that seems a questionable fact by this point. Johann looks at his dog tag, and HYDRA symbol, a golden snake with nine heads, on it. Had Willy's death been in vain?

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The unexplainable explosion in abandoned building is all over the news, but thankfully no one saw them. Johann really doesn't want to explain the unauthorized mission to Osborn. He would say Johann has an obsession. No, he doesn't, he just refuses to believe that Steve Rogers died so easily. Or that S.C.H.I.L.D had. At least he had been right about the last one. And S.C.H.I.L.D can't come back without leaders.

"Boss?"

"I'm not. Don't call me that, Brock."

"Do you still think it's Rogers - and not Stark - who's behind this?"

"I know his style. He just hasn't shown himself yet, he's waiting for the best moment."

"If you say so."

"What the _holy hell_ happened to you?" Fuck this, it's Helmut. Helmut Zemo, Citizen V. One of HYDRA's best agents, which Brock thinks is kind of humorous. Johann had kind of flipped when Helmut introduced himself, and the man still doesn't like him. He had probably been on a mission, for he was still in costume, which, to be completely honest, wouldn't look good on _anybody_.

"It's kind of complicated."

"Everything is complicated with you, Rumlow." Helmut glances at papers on the table, which Johann quickly but as naturally as possible puts his arms on. Helmut follows Osborn like a loyal dog, of course he would tell him, being a rule-obsessed _dummkopf_ he is. Helmut pulls a paper from under Johann's elbow and looks at it.

"S.C.H.I.L.D?" Brock decides it'll be best to give him the facts and talk him into shutting the fuck up. Helmut is all about redeeming his family name, showing the world he isn't like his father. What would be better way to do that than taking down Captain America? Helmut says nothing, but seems to like the idea. Johann gives Brock a look that says _'Why?!'_ , but the sniper doesn’t even blink. It is obvious that even they couldn’t destroy S.C.H.I.L.D without help. And there is also something important he hasn't told Johann yet.

"Johann, Helmut, HYDRA might be compromised, we can't trust anybody but each other, we --"

" _'could'?!_ Do you understand the gravity of the  situation, Rumlow?! If you're  wrong and we do  something -- " Helmut yells, but Brock doesn't let himself be interrupted.

"Look, i knew the man Hawkeye shot. He is - was - in my team. He secretly worked for S.C.H.I.L.D all the time, and there sure as hell is more double agents. I know i can trust Johann, and i think we can trust you." Helmut stares at Brock, a bit aggressively. Johann has noticed and looks like he is ready and very willing to fight Helmut. They had no reason to like each other and would in all likelihood never be friends.

"But how do we --" Helmut gestures to himself and Johann, "know  we  can trust you?"  Brock had expected  Helmut to ask that  question, and it is easy to answer. 

"Do you think i would betray my idol?"

What the fuck does he see in that fossil? Whatever it is, it doesn't really matter. Rumlow is a hero-worshipper and Johann is his hero. He wouldn't betray him, and Johann would _never_ work for nazis. But there was _no way_ Helmut could be sure about anyone else...

"Alright, i'm in" he starts, "but --" his phone rings, it is, of all people, Curt Connors. Last time Helmut checked, The Lizard couldn't use a phone.

"Who's there?" He asks cautiously, because it could really be literally any random person who found the phone in a bush.

" _I am Connors. Lizard wants to show you something, i don't know what. It's important, Zemo, hurry up._ "

"Why?" A moment of silence, which Helmut presumes is a conversation between the man and the beast.

" _S.C.H.I.L.D."_

 

**Next: Target Stark**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> • Nein = No (German)  
> • Dummkopf = Idiot (German)


	2. Target Stark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, i have no experience writing angst and my humor is strange.

Johann hadn't met The Lizard before (Nobody had for a while, not after the creature had escaped containment), and he had to say he was impressed. When it noticed them, it let out a roar and ran into bushes, sometimes stopping to make sure they were still following.

The Lizard took them to the entrance of a regular-looking cave.

"Sschild..." The creature hissed, "In. out. Rarely. Not same people. All don't come. Some sstay."

That meant there had to be another exit. That could also mean they'd have smaller risk of running into somebody. But the enemy had better weapons. He has a handgun without a silencer (He lost it and doesn't really think he can use the gun without it) and couple of knives, Brock has a sniper rifle and blades in his armor, and Helmut has a goddam  _medieval sword_.

Johann gestures them to follow and slips in. They have walked about ten meters when an explosion shakes the entire cave. Gunshots follow.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He has done something wrong, all the alarms go off. At the exactly same time. Why does everything always go wrong?! Darren Cross shrinks down and tries to hide behind the wall components, but there are ants there. Lots of ants. Really big ants.

  
“……”

One of the ants roars to Darren’s face, prompting him to grow in size quickly. He has a bad day, some of the ants somehow grow with him and others swarm all over him, some even getting inside his suit (!). Ants in the pants, ants in the crevices, ants in the cracks, ants in the crannies, and ants on the sack.  
And just when he thinks things couldn’t get any worse, two S.C.H.I.L.D Agents appear from around the corner. What was supposed to be a solo spy/sabotage mission quickly turns into a fully-fledged fight.  
He really shouldn't've come there without training more. Or _alone_ , for that matter.

A bullet comes from five o'clock and shatters the right side of his visor, somehow just sratching his face instead of kiling him. But it distracts him and the agent gets another shot, which fortunately hits his mechanical leg instead of something more important. He shrinks down again and shoots the other agent through the eye.  
He won’t die before getting his revenge, on Scott Lang and Iron Grip.

Suddendly someone shoots the first agent's brains to the wall. 'Somebody' looks like Crossbones. Then there's a dumb-looking blonde guy he doesn't recognize, and a tall man with red hair and eyes, who's probably Scarlet. And The goddam Lizard, who looks at Darren hungrily, licking it's snout. Rumlow aims a gun between Darren's eyes, but Scarlet stops him. Thank god for that, he isn't bulletproof. Scarlet wants to know who he is and why is he there.

"I'm . . . . .Yellowjacket." Darren improvises, because he'd like to keep his secrets. All of them.

"I'd think he meant the _real_ name, _dumkopf_."

"Ssstark!!" The newcomers turn in Lizard's direction and sees a pile of boxes with Stark's logo on them in the corner, damaged by explosion, and full of hi-tech weapons. Darren could use the second to slip away, but decides not to. It'll be better idea to stick with them, they are there for the same reason. He told them that the original Ant-man was his friend and he was there to avenge his death.

They are noticed when they advance deeper into the cave and have to run, their weapons are no match for Stark's, and Darren's suit is damaged. They have a plan for infiltrating Stark tower, Scarlet and Helmut will go distract Stark and Potts while Scarlet's friend Starr, a hacker, will snoop around. Lizard and Rumlow will be close by to communicate with Starr and be ready in case things go south. The original plan included Darren with Starr, but Cross couldn't fix the suit, so he was out. The idea had been that there would be two people in every place in case something happened and they would need help / to make an alert.

Starr would be on his own, Lizard was too unstable and un-sneaky and couldn't be left alone, Darren was of no use currently, and Rumlow was more of a sniper than a spy / close-combatant.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Stark." Stark turns to look at Johann and Helmut, grinning while shaking their hands.

"Oh, if it isn't the tall, red, and gruesome."

Johann's other hand clenches into fist in anger, but he keeps a good poker face.

"What brings you and your Dumb Blonde friend there?" Helmut doesn't even try to keep the poker face, and gives Stark a death glare. That isn't even a good enough reason to get offended, you moron.

"You stopped weapons manufacturing, am i right?"

"I did?"

"Don't you even try!", Helmut roars before Johann is able to shut him up, "We have proof, Stark. You work with S.C.H.I.L.D."

 

Silence. Stark's expression is blank but the look in his eyes is unmistakable.

 

"Does that _moronic maniac_ realize the gravity of his accusation?"

"Don't you play --" Johann graps Helmut by collar and yanks him back.

" _Schnauze_!" He growls into Zemo's ear, scaring him a bit. Good, that's what he needs. Johann looks back at Stark, waiting for him to react.

"What's he talking about, Eisenhardt?" There was no crying after the spilled milk, so Johann decided to answer.

"We spied on S.C.H.I.L.D, and found several boxes of weapons with _your logo_ on them."

"Probably stolen years ago." That's what he says...

"That's what i thought too, _Herr_ Stark" Johann lies, "I came there in hopes you'd help us find out when and where were they stolen."

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Starr tells Brock the tower's firewall is very good and he might not have time to get through it. As long as Stark isn't watching the security system, there is time, but Johann and Helmut can't keep him occupied forever, and Helmut seems to have fucked the mission up already. Brock is snapped out of his throughts when the line suddendly silences, and Starr doesn't answer.

Dammit.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"But, blondie said you spied on what you think was S.C.H.I.L.D. It doesn't exist any more, but, i know everything and didn't know that. Is it an _unauthorized mission_ i'm smelling?"

Helmut went quiet and Johann refused to answer.

" _What will your boss think?_ "

No answer from Johann. Helmy started to look distressed. Stark probably aimed the question specifically at him because he knew Helmut was the more mentally fragile.

"Oh, we can _ask_. Because _Osborn's there too_."

 _Verdammte_...

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He should've known. Helmut is a traitor too, he has reported to Osborn about everything they've done. Osborn is a traitor, has to be, he works with Stark. When Osborn tells Helmut to attack Johann, he obeys (thought seems to have a second of doubt). Johann should've known Helmut was evil. Zemo's were _born_ evil. Johann dodges the sword and graps Helmut's wrist to get him drop it, he has to get close to stab him or use a taser. He looks Osborn in the eyes, and gets a bit startled because his irises have grown to the cover whole eyeball and turned yellow. Helmut, for some reason, doesn't take advantage of his startlement and looks a bit scared himself.

Johann has to do something, so he kicks Helmut with his knee, first on the balls, then the guts, chest, and jaw, making him stumble back a few steps.

"You goddam traitor!"

"No! They don't work for S.C.H.I.L.D! Neither do i! I'm not a nazi!!" Helmut screams, sounding a bit panicked. And unsure. Good, maybe Johann can beat some sense into him.

"You believe _everything_ he tells you?!" Johann gets distracted, and Helmut strucks him with his sword. Johann pushes throught the pain and manages to bring Helmut down and stabs him to the shoulder, obviously having to defend himself but somehow reluctant to kill him despite him being a traitor. Helmut kicks him off, against the table. Both Johann and the table crash through the window behind, the window of about 100th floor. He sees only a glimpse of Helmut, but he doesn't look like he meant to do that. He looks shaken.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oh god.

Oh god...

Helmut hadn't meant to kill him. He hadn't. It was an accident. He didn't know the table was so light...

He should've done something, try to grap Johann. But his legs had refused to move.

It hadn't been Johann's fault, he had just been his stubborn self, too proud and stubborn to run away or surrender. To believe Helmut and Osborn... The fault was _Helmut's_. He had killed Johann. He hasn't killed people before, he doesn't want to, and he doesn't like it. He isn't a **killer**!

What about Johann's friends? His family? Susan and the baby? His brother, the goddam  _Magneto_? What if he gets angry at Helmut?

Osborn stands in place, silent, but Stark approaches Helmut, and puts a 'comforting' hand on his shoulder, preventing him from walking to the other side of the room where the remains of the window stand.

"Don't cry about him, blondie. _He fucking stabbed you_. He would've stabbed Osborn too if you hadn't attacked first." Helmut slowly turns his head.

"S.C.H.I.L.D has no part in this, Eisenhardt was _delusional_. There's no conspiracy, never has been. You did the right thing, Zemo. If you hadn't killed him, he would've became a threat. You _saved_ us, Helmut. You were a _hero_."

Is that so?

"What's going on, then?"

"Osborn and i have a _deal_. Don't worry about it, your work is done, blondie. You can go home now."

Helmut says nothing in response.

 

 

**Next: Winter is coming**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Scarbo isn't Sinthea's mother on earth 616, but in my AU she is, because i have to get the timeline to work.
> 
> Translations:
> 
> • Dummkopf = Idiot / Moron (German)  
> • Schnauze! = The Rudest Of Many Ways To say "Shut Up!" In German  
> • Verdammte = Damn / Damned (German)


	3. The Winter Is Coming

"Bonesss!" The Lizard screeches into Brock's ear, making him and Darren whip around. The window of Stark's office shatters and the shards of glass rain down to the street when a table crashes through, and, with it, Johann. Brock's scared because there's _nothing_ he could do. They're too far away and catching him wouldn't help, it's the 100th floor. Both would die.

The Lizard leaps out of their hiding place and to the street, jumping from car roof to car roof and between the two buildings like a cartoon ninja. It catches Johann midair at about fift floor, and slows down their fall by smashing it's claws to the building. Brock dumps his helmet and rifle to the floor of their shelter on an impulse and runs to Lizard and Johann as fast as he can. Johann doesn't move, but he was alive when Lizard caught him, he's tighly gripping the creature's arm. Darren can see him shaking a bit, he lives. But what about zemo?

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Helmut doesn't really have a home, so he goes back to The Triskelion. Susan Scarbo is there too. She's pregnant with Johann's child, doesn't know that Helmut knows, hasn't told anybody yet.

_What will she think?_

Helmut tries to avoid the illusionist's gaze, and she notices. Scarbo says nothing, but watches him from the corner of her eye. Helmut tries to eat something, but has difficulty swallowing, and looks nervous in general.

"What did you do?" The sudden question makes Helmut wince a bit.

"P-peg your pardon?"

"Don't play polite, Zemo. I'll ask again: what did you do?" Helmut doesn't think, he just goes and blurts it out, and immediately regrets explaining in that way.

"Johann's dead. It's my fault, i killed him."

Scarbo freezes in place, back facing Helmut. After few seconds, the illusion of her still standing there vanishes and she, having walked behind Helmut, hits him as hard as she can, which is _very fucking hard_ , Helmut almost loses his consciousness.

"Wait! It came out wrong! Let me explain! Osborn said he was a threat! He stabbed me and i kicked him off! It was a reflex! I didn't know Stark's table was so light! I couldn't grap him! It was an accident! I didn't mean to kill him! _I swear to god!_ "

Susan stares at Helmut in disbelief. Stark? Osborn? _Osborn?!_

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Johann opens his eyes slowly. Darren sees a crowd starting to gather, and urges the three to get going. When Rumlow has fetched the equiptment left in their hiding place, they run to the outskirts of city center and, having no other place to go, hide in the structures of a bridge. Johann is obviously still a bit shaken because of the fall ( _Who wouldn’t be?_ ), but tells them that Osborn’s a traitor. Helmut too.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the evening, Helmut has somewhat calmed down but is also doubtful and feels the need to talk to somebody. At this hour there’s nobody in the building exept for him, Scarbo, and Osborn so he walks toward Osborn’s office. He’s about to knock at the door when he hears The Iron Grip’s voice, sounding like it comes from a video communicator, and another voice. A brooklyn accent. No, no,  it can’t be -- he knows that voice from the old propaganda films! Helmut, carefully and as silently as he can, pushes the door – which Osborn apparently forgot to lock – a bit open and peeks inside.

. . . . . .

In the chair behind the desk crouches _a creepy green gremlin_ , and in the chair in front of it sits a supposedly dead traitor to his country and a nazi war criminal **Steven Grant Rogers**. He looks _excatly_ the same as in over 70 years old pictures: a bit lazily slicked back blonde hair. The SS officer hat on the corner of the table. A black longcoat over a dark blue costume with dark red and dirtied white stripes, white star on the chest partially stained with dried blood. A gun holster on his hip, the triangular shield with stars and stripes resting against the table in his hand’s reach.

Behind him stand two other men. Helmut doesn’t recognize the black one dressed in black costume with red accents and carrying some kind of metal backpack, but the white, masked one with brown hair and a metal arm is Bucky Barnes, **The Winter Soldier**.

Rogers stops talking, and, probably having heard Helmut’s gasp, slowly turns his head toward the doorway, Helmut’s normal eyes meeting Rogers’ _sharp_ , _bright_ , and _reflectionless_ ones. Helmut runs for his life, not realizing to close or barricade the door behind him. He can hear the footsteps closing in.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Helmut gets to the front door, which is obviously locked, his keycard doesn’t work and he sees Barnes in the glass’ reflection. He runs the other way, intending to get into the parking hall or on the roof and then figure out what to do. He doesn’t have his weapons, because rules forbid bringing one to the director’s office unless you’re a bodyguard.

He doesn’t hear the steps any more in the deserted hallways but knows that Barnes is still somewhere. And he feels like somebody else is watching him too. He heards a silencer whizz and a bullet rips through his leg, making him fall to the floor. He desperately crawls to the elevator and hits the closest button. The door slides shut and is dented by three more bullets. He tries to call every number on his phone to pass the information before it’s too late but no one answers.

Helmut barely has the time to tie a tourniquet before the door slides open and he limps under a car. It takes mere seconds until he hears the footsteps again, and starts typing the text rabidly, trying to control his breathing to not be heard. The footsteps come closer and pass him. They stop. So does Helmut’s heart when he hears a bazooka being fired. He presses ”send” button and the next thing he hears is an explosion.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rumlow’s phone suddendly beebs to signal a text message. The timing – and the whole thing after all that’s happened by now – somehow feels so absurd that Darren (Who, by the way, hasn’t slept in at least five days) is on the brink of hysterical laughter. The others might think he’s gone crazy.

Brock opens the message, which is from Helmut. It’s typed in hurry and full of misspellings and strange grammar, but is still understanddable: _Rogers lives. Barnes too. They have a new ally. A conspiracy with Stark and Osborn who’s turned into a ”creepy green gremlin”. Project Vision. Inside Triskelion._ The short message ends with ” _I’m sorr_ ”. Whatever happened to Helmut, he didn’t have the time to finish the sentence. And he sure as hell isn’t usually the one to apologize.

He might be dead.

Darren expects Johann to say ”I knew it!” or something, but he doesn’t. He processes the information in his head. He was right, Rogers was behind this. Helmut and Brock had been right, Stark was involved too. They would have to infiltrate The Triskelion and attack the technological floor. There’s only him, Yellowjacket, Brock, and The Lizard, four of them against Rogers and his two acolytes, Osborn with suit of armor ”reverse-engineered” from The War Machines, god knows how many double agents, and possibly Iron Grip and his swarm or War Machines. The odds are against them, they have to plan carefully and play their cards wisely.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next morning, Susan Scarbo’s phone rings. Her focus is somewhere else and can barely answer in time. It’s Brock’s phone. Rumlow has went hiding, there will be only a couple of seconds before the signal is noticed and tracked. No time for explanations or speeches.

”Susie…” Susan and Helmut are taken by surprise because, despite the phone being Brock’s, the caller isn’t him. It’s Johann. Susan gestures Helmut to shut the fuck up. There’s a moment of silence, both know these could be the last words they speak to each other.

” _I-ich liebe dich_.”

The line goes dead before Susan can answer.

 

**Next: The Last Gambit**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helmut lives because Susan followed him and, using illusion, made Barnes think Helmut was under other car.
> 
> Translations:
> 
> • Ich Liebe Dich = I Love You (German)


	4. The Last Gambit

Steven Rogers wipes the guard's blood from his shield and, not sparing a glance at the decapitated corpse nor bothering to hide it, continues walking down the corridor. On the way down he crosses paths with few more agents, freeing them from their misery with ease. Osborn's scared shitless when he sees Steve coming, but Green Goblin persona quickly takes over, like always.

The Iron Grip, or his armor at least, is already there, expressing his disdain with Steve's bloody morning routine. Not that Iron Grip cares, but what if the bodies are found before they get the building at lockdown? Steve can't see or hear Hawkeye, but he has to be there somewhere, he always is. Winter Soldier, whom Steve had sent as a vanguard, salutes him and Steve salutes back, then turns his attention at Goblin and Iron Grip.

The Sleeper shall wake soon, and Steve will once again hold the light of gods in the palm of his hand.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Darren runs in the air went, desperate to find the armored door again and let the others in before Rogers can wake The Sleeper. If awakened, it will go straight there, destroying everything in it's path, and god knows what Rogers will do with it. Or what The Iron Grip expects to get as a reward for his contribution.

Something suddendly enlarges Darren to normal size, and the vent breaks under his weight, dropping him into a corridor full of double agents.

And Ant-man!

He also found the armored door, but is too preoccupied to open it. The enemy agents are better-trained and larger in numbers than those he encountered in the cave, and Ant-Man is now also there. Darren gets shot badly, or at least it feels like it, to stomach but obviously doesn't have time to take a look at the wound.

Ant-man enlarges the ants as a distraction and punches Darren on the face, but Darren is fast too and shoots him at point-blank, straight to the face. Unfortunately the shot doesn't kill him, but it proves Darren was right.

It's Scott Lang.

When most of the agents are down, Darren reaches for the door, but the ants are still there. And there's somebody locked in the box.

Starr. Probably left alive to be used as a hostage. Elephant-sized ant scares Starr shitless, but otherwise he seems to be okay.

"Okay, let's go --"Ant-man hits Darren from behind and air goes all black around him.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Steve's feeling particularly sadistic today. He feels like deciding which of the prisoners to torture and which to use as a hostage. Johann knows them both and deserves to be punished from intervening with his Vision. Torturing Starr in front of Johann would have greater psychological impact, they are friends after all. But that would also make him more useful hostage...

Sam interrupts his train of thought by informing him that the intruders have gotten past the armored door and are almost there. Despite the whole building being in lockdown. Lang played his part already and wants to get paid and out of there before the big fight breaks loose, he's stupid but not suicical. Steve politely tells him he will stay as long as Steve wants or needs. If the leaves before getting his permission, he'll regret it.

Steve turns his gaze to Starr, and tells Winter Soldier to go get Cross.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some of the cameras are still offline or being turned back on, and Susan has her illusions, so it's easy for her and Helmut to get in. They pass unnoticed past all the guards, but illusions vanish as a sharp cry of pain echoes to the hallway.

Starr's voice.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"You're deluded, Johann." Steve tells the man standing a few meters away from him "It was the power of gods we fought of in the war. Like that, this is far greater than any of us, yet you've never understood what marks what we fight a _battle of nations_. But i have seen the future, and there will be _only one flag_!"

Steve presses the sharp edge of his shield to Starr's throat, Winter Soldier having a gun on Darren's temple.

"I always did do what i perceived right. I didn't care what people, press, mobs, or politicians said. I planted myself, like a tree, next to the river of righteousness and told the whole world: No, you move."

Steve stares Johann straight to the eyes.

"And look at me now!"

"That's a very nice speech you have there, _captain_ " Johann answers slowly, estimating their situation, "But do you know what i see when i look at you?"

"Frankly, _Scarlet_?" Steve grins "I don't give a _damn_." Steve hits Starr on the throat, and The Lizard leaps on him, proving no match for his shield.

Johann takes on Steve and Lizard the Green Goblin, Hawkeye starting to shoot them from somewhere. Before Winter Soldier can shoot Darren, he throws him off and tries to reach the control room but is stopped. Soldier, however, couldn't stop Brock at the same time.

It doesn't matter, Coulson and Sam are there. _Captain's orders_.

What Steve doesn't expect is for Helmut Zemo to turn up alive.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Coulson, pressing a gun to the back of a technician's head, hears something and turns to see a gun barrel. Rumlow, of course. Sam Wilson, The Eagle, comes from behind and Rumlow feels a gun barrel on his neck.

"You picked the wrong side, agent." Coulson brags.

Brock doesn't answer. It depends on where you're standing. Coulson tells the technician to activate Project Vision. The man sweats and shakes. He knows what will happen if he does, but is also afraid to die.

"Is there a problem?" Technician doesn't answer to Wilson.

"Is there a problem?!" The technician makes up his mind.

"No. I won't."

"What?!" The technician knows what's going to happen and closes his eyes.

"I won't activate it."

Coulson shoots the technician and gets a bullet to the brain from Brock, who dodges Wilson's bullets and knocks the guns from his hands.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Helmut has to admit illusions are quite useful, but not as useful as an adamantium sword he uses to pierce through waves and waves of double agents and War Machines until they stop coming. He rushes to dying Starr's side.

"Scott Lang.. Ant-man.." Starr wheezes "Iron Grip is... Is..S.." Starr never completes his last sentence.

Rogers, having noticed nothing has happened, turns to Iron Grip.

"Activate it, will you?" Johann uses the moment to make a surprise attack and manages to separate Rogers from his shield, which Helmut picks up and pierces Iron Grips armor open with, but not before he had managed to activate the system.

The armor is empty. Iron Grip was never there.

Ant-man appears and punches Helmut so hard he falls down, but he quickly gets to his feet.

Brock's somewhere alone, against at least Wilson, Johann's fighting with Rogers and might be on the win, Darren's holding his ground against Winter Soldier despite the damage done to his suit, Susan's trying to locate Hawkeye, and Lizard --

..... Lizard's turned back into Connors.

Helmut tries to reach Connors and Goblin, but Ant-Man takes him down again, and he barely misses an arrow to leg.

"Susan!" Susan turns.

"Connors! The Goblin!"

Helmut turns his focus back to his opponent, who kicks him in the face and shrinks down to get behind him, but Helmut's faster and slaps him between his hands like a fly.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brock's always wondered why the fucking hell is Wilson working for a nazi. That has to take a special level of insanity.

"Why, you ask? Why?!" Wilson kicks Brock's spine, but he doesn't think he managed to break it yet "For the future! For our home of the brave! In the name of gods!"

Yeah, he's at least as batshit insane as Rogers. He's close enough now.

"Gods, huh?" Brock pulls out a grenade "Let's go see them together."

Wilson tries to dodge, causing the grenade to explode on Brock's face and Wilson's back, destroying his wings.

With the remnants of his strenght, Brock kicks Wilson out of the window. He hears technicians come out of their hiding spots and try to wake him up.

"Agent Rumlow! Agent Rumlow! Brock!!"

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Helmut got to the files, but he'll need two top-level authorisation's eye scans to shut the system down. Pierce has to be there somewhere, building's on lockdown. He comes to the controls room and sees Brock lying on the ground and one technician trying to wake him.

"Rumlow.." Technicians turn to look at him, scared of him being another double agent.

"Some...body get Pierce..." Brock rasped to no one in particular, on the bring of unconsciousness "N...next floor.."

Helmut silently prayed for Brock and ran away, telling himself he had absolutely no time to lose. He didn't even know where The Sleeper originally was. It could be already rampaging through a major city.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Susan ends up wrestling with the Goblin, the creature's drool dripping into her eye. She doesn't really know what to do to it, they need Osborn alive. Darren finally manages to knock Winter Soldier out and shoots at Hawkeye with his rifle. After an exchange of shots, Hawk dissappears, and Darren  goes to help Johann. Despite being quite stuck, Susan manages a distraction that turns the fight in their favor.

Helmut comes with Pierce, who's probably okay because he's his assholish self.

"The fuck is that thing?!"

"No time to explain! Get up there already!"

The Sleeper's currently over the Atlantic, nearing the west coast. If they stop it there, it'll sink.

Despite being outnumbered and fighting a losing battle, Rogers still brags. They won't get Osborn back in time. The world will burn to the ground and a new one will rise from it's ashes!

Susan and Connors haul Goblin to the controls, Connors trying to talk to Osborn, failing to realize the whole "inner battle" thing only works in fiction.

"Left eye, Norman, left eye!"

Susan is honestly surprised it actually works, if only for few seconds. That, however, is enough. The scanner recognizes Osborn's eye and shuts down, also opening the barricades on the doors.

"We won, Rogers" Johann said, as it was his turn to brag now.

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It's on the news: only Rogers and Lang are caught (Rogers will sure as hell get a death penalty, but jailtime isn't enough to Lang!), Iron Grip, Hawkeye and Winter Soldier managing to escape and Wilson's body being never found. Goblin eventually turned back to Osborn and was sent to an asylym until somebody figures out where the fuck Green Goblin came from and what to do to it. Starr's dead and Brock's condition is critical, thought he'll probably make it.

Johann's starting to blame himself, like he always does when something like this happens.

Helmut doesn't know what Johann would've done if Brock died too, thank god it didn't happen.

 

                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

After Starr's funeral, the gravestones stand silently, row upon row like soldiers long forgotten, the silence is shattered by german or maybe yiddish words no one besides Johann and the god hear or understand.

 

 **Next: The Stringer**    (You know, the scene that comes after the end credits)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was damn long because it was originally supposed to be two chapters.  
> By the way, this was the last actual chapter, the next one is more like the hidden scene in the end credits.
> 
> I don't know any yiddish prayers so i didn't write what Johann says.


	5. The Stringer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know, the scene that comes between the end credits.

”What about Captain America?"

”Forget Rogers, he was just a pawn. We’ll prepare to take the next step.” The Iron Grip walks down the hallway, his protege following close behind.  
”We got what we wanted – one of The Stones he stole. That kind of power doesn’t belong in the hands of a madman like him.  
We have a better use for it.”

”Double agents?”

The Iron Grip shakes his head.  
”No, Peter. It isn’t a world of spies anymore.” His eyes turn to the screen that broadcasts a fight between The Brotherhood of Mutants, Iron Grip’s drones, and X-Men.  
”Not even a world of heroes.”

He moves forward and presses his hand on the screen.

”We live in a time of miracles, Spider.” Magneto seems to notice the camera drone.

”And there’s nothing more terrifying” Iron Grip’s eyes grow wide with fascination when he stares at Magneto’s glowing ones on the screen.  
”Than a miracle.”

  
Magneto clenches his fist, and the screen goes static.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My vocational school starts tomorrow (Monday 13th) so i can't start writing a sequel right away, but some day i will.  
> In the meantime, i'll write "Flashbacks", and when i start writing a sequel to this, i'll notify there.
> 
> By the way, i added a 3rd part to this series, it's cover art for this.


End file.
